Province Introduces Amendments to The Planning Act

The Manitoba government has introduced legislation that would amend The Planning Act and give the City of Brandon control over local decisions such as the approval of subdivisions, Municipal Relations Minister Rochelle Squires announced today.

“We continue to make improvements, reduce red tape and allow qualified municipalities to take responsibility for decisions that are directly under their control,” Squires said. “These amendments will accomplish that, and clear the way for governments at different levels to operate more efficiently.”

The current legislation allows the minister to delegate the approval of subdivisions to a local planning district, but not to a municipality. One of the key changes would allow Brandon to make its own decisions on subdivision applications within their boundaries, independent of its current membership in the Brandon and Area Planning District.

The proposed legislation would also enable the minister to establish regulatory requirements under which other municipalities could be delegated this authority by the minister

(Province of Manitoba News Release)